Keeping It Fresh

Today I have some music from the ever exciting and moving city, Los Angeles. This duo likes to go by the name MIKNNA, and they are shaking up the underground music scene one track at a time. Fusing retro sounds with hip-hop and some electronic work, MIKKNA gives us music to bounce to. MIKNNA is made up of two very important components - a producer and a vocalist. One member brings the instrumental and musical skills to the table. In fact, the producer, Ken Nana is a talented musician and plays multiple instruments. The vocalist, Mike B, also serves as the rapper of the duo and brings words to the song. The two of them together are able to breathe life into tracks like this, giving the song body and filling it with sensation. MIKKNA's sound could be described as "electro-soul," a gorgeous blend of an older style with a newer one. This song is definitely on the slower side, but that doesn't mean the song lacks funk or groove. This song can hold its own when it come...

This summer has been an interesting time for music. A lot of the new releases we have been hearing are not coming from big-name artists but from more of the lesser known musicians and artists. And that makes this such an interesting time for music because it is almost time to start deciding on the anthem of the summer. And though this track is a little late in the game, I think it has a fair chance in my book of being one of the anthems of the season. So let's get right into it! Louis the Child has always been such a fascinating duo. A lot of their inspiration is drawn from Asia and Eastern Asian cultures. This makes their melodies stand out more, distinguish the duo, and provide a nice respite from the string of pop songs we normally hear over the summer. This is going to be a fun song to talk about especially because it is the latest development in Louis the Child's extensive dossier of music. Though the duo is not as well known as DJs and groups such as Major Lazer, Dil...

Today I have music which comes from two different worlds of music- American rap and Bollywood. A seemingly interesting pair, the world of mashups and remixing has grown so much within the past few years. Now today's song is one that I have been pretty much obsessed with for a while, but for some reason, have never written about. Why, you may ask? I don't know. I genuinely have no good reason. So why not talk about it today! Let's start with the DJ himself. DJ BANED is an artist out of Dallas and has done some major work within the Desi Dance Network, an organization which connects Indian dance teams across the United States. The organization has flourished since inception, and this has left room for many aspiring DJs to test their skills and showcase their talents and mixes. Now BANED has been around on this circuit for quite some time, but I'd like to think he started his mixing career before this organization really took off. Stylistically, I have heard him remix m...

Well, I'm back! It's been about a week or so since my last post, but I am so pleased about the music I am bringing to you going forward. This past week was South by Southwest, SXSW, which is a huge festival in Austin. For a week, we get to celebrate the most innovative and exciting new things coming up in technology, film, and music. I had the incredible opportunity to attend some of the SXSW Music events, and my goodness, it was spectacular. I've seen so many new artists and I am very excited to share these new players with you. So start off this exposé, we have an artist from New Zealand. Noah Slee is an artist who has been on my radar for a while, and I couldn't believe that he came to SXSW! Unfortunately, I was unable to see him perform, but that won't stop me from talking about his music. Noah Slee brought his cool soul to the SXSW stage, and I have to admit that Austin is so much better off by knowing his name. His musical style is not unfamiliar to us. N...

Today I have some suave and dark music for you out of England. Everything is Recorded, is an artist pseudonym and project. The man behind Everything is Recorded goes by the name of Richard Russell, a producer, and owner of XL Recordings. His label was meant to produce and release original dance tracks. But somewhere along the way, the focus of XL Recordings changed and so did its artists. And as a result, we get amazing music and side projects, such as Everything Is Recorded. This song definitely has darker undertones.The invisible touch that Richard Russell provides is so noticeable in those darker moments and motifs of the song. As the composer and producer of the track, Richard Russell brings to life the song's heartbeat. He makes the song ebb and flows, crescendo and decrescendo into the seductively dark tones of the song. He makes this song tell a story through the music alone, a story filled with suspense and drama, maybe even tragedy. It's a story which involves pain ...

Today I thought we could go with something on the softer side of music. It has been a while since I've posted anything along the lines of folk or indie music, and this song just spoke to me. Today's music is by the artist known as My Life as Ali Thomas. This is a group out of Thailand, and they have absolutely swept me away. I will admit, music like theirs is not a phenomenon. We hear indie and folk music like this often enough if you know where to look. But what makes this group really stand out, is their brilliant command of instrumentals and composition. This track is a great example of their beautiful work. My Life as Ali Thomas relies solely on conventional instruments it seems. Nothing electronic or synthetic. And I won't lie, that is a really nice change of pace. All we hear are the gentle acoustic guitars, the quiet electric guitars, tapping drums and dreamy vocals. Everything is so raw and real in a way that we sometimes can forget given that so much music today...

Today I have an absolutely incredible song for you all. Often times we hear covers of songs get done, with multiple covers of popular songs. And a lot of these times, the covers a wonderful tribute to the original song. The notes are beautifully reached, the melodies a beautiful flow like the original track. But what the single dimensional covers do, is create an extremely similar rendition of the original song. And then we get some rare covers which are stunning pieces of work. These covers tend to be extremely non-conventional and can change everything about a song. Today's track does just that. The original version of this song is incredibly popular, the girls' anthem for all the 90's and 00's girls out there. TLC is a musical staple - everyone knows them and at least one of their songs. This one is their most popular and it has been covered by many people. But no one has been able to turn the original into a completely new work of art the way Unlike Pluto has. Te...

Today I have some new music for you by a band that has not been very active the past few years. We all remember Foster the People as the band that sang about those cool shoes, but the song wasn't actually about having cool kicks etc. Well, Foster the People is back again after quite some time and have dropped a wonderful new album. This album is very interesting because it sounds exactly like Foster the People, but also sounds nothing like them. It is an odd concept to wrap your head around, but it also makes a bit of sense. For example, this particular song. It has to be one of my favorites by the band. Why? Because it has such a good vibe to it and it also reminds me of another good band- Tame Impala. It is very interesting because the musicality behind the song and the production style is very similar to what we have heard with Tame Impala, but it is also very characteristically like Foster the People. The groovy vibes and ethereal nature of the song is one that we are familia...

Today I have some music for you by an artist who seems to do very well staying out of the huge spotlights and retain a great musical fan base. Galimatias is one of my favorite chill artists for a few reasons. One of the best things about his music is that it is meant for moments and feelings. It's meant for attitudes and specific moods, which is why each song is so wonderfully crafted and different. No song sounds the same even though they have similar production sounds. Galimatias has an overall theme which runs through all of his songs, a sound which acts like more of a trademark above all else. But each melody is different and the craftsmanship on each song is simply incredible. This song by Galimatias is a seductively good song. In all of his soundscapes, Galimatias is known for creating a unique blend of electronic, R&B, and hip hop. Whether the song is a slower one or more bumping one, there is always an enchantingly good blend of the three genres so that one never outd...

Today I have one of the sickest songs released this year, featuring a line up of artist that is bound to leave you stunned and pretty much in awe. Vince Staples has always been an artist that stuck to the underground scenes. We don't hear his name as often, don't hear his music that often, and don't really hear much media buzz about him. And that has been absolutely amazing! Why? Because it has allowed the rapper to grow and create music that is undeniably good and incredibly raw. Vince Staples doesn't beat around the bush nor does he sugar coat anything, just like the featured rapper in this song. Not only do we get to hear the raw words of Vince Staples, we get some gospel by Kendrick Lamar. And all of this is set to a beat produced by Flume and Sophie. The number of powerful names in this song is honestly overwhelmingly wicked! The best way to go about talking about this song is from the production and the lyrical points of view. As I mentioned earlier, this song f...

Today I have some music for you by an artist that has seemingly taken over a lot of the music game. Drake has his name everywhere, in the rap world, the pop world, even the electronic world! He seems to be one of those artists that everyone has heard of. He is the kind of artists that many people have heard, and are avid fans of. Now despite this, there is a lot of music out by Drake that hasn't really been heard and isn't that popular. Today's song is one of those. This song is one that honestly blows the two lead singles out of the water regarding lyrics and production quality. This song takes the lyrics along the normal path that Drake tends to follow. He is lamenting the end of a relationship, putting Drake in full emotional pop mode. We do get a great R&B pop influence with this song, though, which is a different step for the rap industry as a whole. Drake has taken hold of the 80's synth and production style and has molded it into a modern version that can b...

Recently a lot of artists have dropped new tracks and single across all genres, and I for one, am so excited by this. And the cool thing is, it isn't just popular artists who are releasing new material. There are so many older artists and underground artists who are showing us their music and skills, reminding and informing us that they are still around and kicking. One such artist is Flume. Now I wouldn't go so as to say that he is an underground artist. At this point about a year or two ago, I would definitely concede in saying that the man falls into the underground and outsider genre of electronic music. But the hit single producer made so many waves within the pop music industry last year and made his name known to a lot of listeners. However, there is more music to Flume than just that single. And today, I want to talk about Flume's latest and quiet song release. If you have ever heard a song that reminds you of a runway or high fashion modeling, this song would belo...

Today I have some really interesting music for you which comes from India. Now when most people hear or think of Indian music, the mind naturally gravitates towards Bollywood. And this is fair! I find myself thinking that way sometimes as well. But the hidden world of Indian music outside of Bollywood is quite amazing. There is music across all genres, from rap to rock to hip hop and folk. This song happens to fall in the genre of dream pop and a bit indie rock oriented. These are genres we tend to not see often from Indian artists, so I was definitely really excited when I heard what kind of music Parekh & Singh created. Parekh & Singh sound so unlike anything most people have heard of Indian music, that is can be hard to imagine that these guys hail from Kolkata. When I first heard their music, there was no way I believed that the duo was from India. It just didn't seem to make sense in my head because of what I thought I knew about Indian entertainment and music. But t...

Today I have some music for you by a trio of musicians who are an odd mix of electronic dance and rock music. And this rock music is more along the lines of hard rock. Art vs Science is a group out of Sydney, Australia with an intense, lively, and spunky spirit. Art vs Science is one of the oddest groups I have heard, but I absolutely love how unique and fun their music is. This band is one that has received some mixed reviews, with some dismissing their music and others praising them as one of Australia's greatest live acts. I will leave you to decide how to feel about the band, and would love to know what you think! But before we even get to that, let's take a look at a breakdown of this song. For starters, this is such a pumped up and fist-bump worthy song. The energy felt in this song is really reminiscent of The Beastie Boys and The Chemical Brothers for me. There is this very particular kind of sound that comes with musicians like this. I am going to try to put it in wo...

Today I have music for you that is so incredibly unique and weirdly riveting, that I had to share it with you all! This song is by the American gypsy punk band known as Gogol Bordello. Yeah, that's right. Gypsy punk. I can guarantee that this song is going to be on the stranger side of most people's musical taste, yet, it's the kind of music which you can't pull away from. Gogol Bordello is all about making music that intrigues you and leaves you hooked. The entire sound and reputation of Gogol Bordello hinge on this idea of unorthodox instrumentation and melodies. The vocal melody is just so catchy though that you get completely ensnared by the song and have to hear it out through the end. Even for those of you who don't find it to be your cup of tea, you can't deny the intrigue and odd attraction that the song has to the ears The song starts off with the plucking of a guitar in a melody that is clearly influenced by the common chord progression associated wi...

Today we are moving on to the world of groovy music. This song is one that I have legitimately been obsessed with for a while now. This is a song that is all about feeling the music and going with the flow of the music. Originally the song is by Miguel, and in his typical fashion, it's super smooth on the ears. Now what I found interesting was that the original version of the song was off the beaten path for Miguel's normal R&B style. The song has a lot more groove and funk to it than the normally smooth and sensual kind of songs we get from Miguel. But Tame Impala swooped in and changed the game even more with this remix. Who would have ever thought of putting Tame Impala and Miguel together? The two artists come from completely different musical genres, yet, this remix is one of the greatest jams I have heard! I have to admit, this remix blew the original song out of the water in my opinion. Not that Miguel's original song is bad. But this version has this dreamy k...

Today I have some long awaited, incredible music for you. We have been waiting for new music by the British band Gorillaz for over five years. Five. Years. And my oh my did they satisfy! One of the cool things about Gorillaz, is that we never know what to expect from them. Their sound is so eclectic and strange, the persona they have is unique, and their choice of musicality and lyricism is out of this world. There are so many things which make this band a special one, a band that we can't help but want to know more about and hear from.The greatest thing though is that no song sounds the same, and each album is entirely different from the rest. Gorillaz tends to follow some kind of rock and rap combination, however, the way the two are combined is up for experimentation. Gorillaz is a band that experiments with different sounds and somehow is able to find the strangest and greatest combinations. With this song, we get a rock slow jam which features Jamaican style vocals. Normally, ...

Today we are continuing on this "new music" tend, so I have some fresh melodies for you from a man who has really taken a leap forward in the entertainment game. For those of you who don't know, Harry Styles has just spent a good amount of time on filming the newest Christopher Nolan film, Dunkirk. However, just this past week, the One Direction singer turned actor released a solo track and I have to say it is quite interesting. This song is vastly different than what we are used to hearing from Harry Styles' work with One Direction. While the boy band seemed to focus more on young love and youthful shenanigans, this song is an odd ode to maturity and age. This song has a bittersweet kind of melancholy to it. I will say, I really like the way he has embraced the rock side of things, and almost takes a David Bowie or Oasis kind of approach to the song. There is a classic rock kind of vibe to this which I really enjoy. That mix of modern and classic works very well for ...